CBS Chief Denies Reports That Network Is for Sale : Television: Tisch says disintegration of merger plans with QVC hasn’t changed his position.

CBS Inc. Chief Executive Laurence A. Tisch emphatically denied Tuesday that the network is for sale since its merger deal with QVC Inc was abandoned.

“I’ve had no interest for eight years (in selling) CBS, and there is no interest to sell it now,” Tisch told a news conference before the Television Critics Assn., which is meeting at the Universal Hilton in Universal City this week for previews of fall television programs.

Tisch, who became chairman of CBS in September, 1986, shocked the business world last week when he withdrew from negotiations with QVC Chairman Barry Diller. Under the terms of the proposed merger, CBS would have acquired the smaller QVC in a stock swap that would have provided for a cash payout to CBS shareholders. Diller would have assumed control of the combined companies, and the 71-year-old Tisch would have taken a background role.

The deal fell apart, however, when rival Comcast Corp. bid $2.2 billion for QVC. The Philadelphia-based cable TV company helped to found QVC and owns about 17% of its stock.

Tisch said the planned CBS-QVC merger was a deal that “I thought made sense” and an opportunity that didn’t work out. He denied reports that the discussions fell apart because a rift developed between him and Diller.

“There were no loggerheads with Barry,” he said. “I have great respect for him, but I had no interest in entering a bidding contest.”

Since the failure of the QVC deal, Tele-Communications Inc. Chief Executive John Malone, cable magnate Ted Turner, Walt Disney Co. and even Diller--with new backing--have been rumored to be eyeing CBS, but Tisch bristled at the suggestion that his company is in play.

“When will you people face reality?” he snapped. “For eight years I’ve been hearing about Disney. Don’t you people get tired of the same story?”

Asked if he was unhappy about the failure of the merger, Tisch said, “You know, I have this terrible problem with being happy.” He said he was happy when plans for the merger were under way and happy when they fell apart.

Tisch also told reporters that the recent loss of eight key affiliates and NFL broadcast rights to the Fox network will not deter him from making CBS the top network.

“I came in with the goal for CBS to be the strongest broadcaster in America, have the best programming and be No. 1 in every category,” he said. “We’re missing a few now.”

He said the network will rebuild its sports franchises by bidding on other sports. “In every area of sports, we will be there with the other networks and we will be competitive,” Tisch said. “But we’re not going to do crazy things. I already did my crazy thing--you all remember baseball?” He was referring to the network’s $1.1-billion deal with major league baseball, which lost tremendous amounts of money.

He also praised the management team at CBS, calling them the “best group of executives in television today.”

Finally, Tisch used the forum to take a shot at media mogul Rupert Murdoch, chairman of News Corp., parent company of Fox Broadcasting Co., who last week called the CBS schedule “tired.”

“He can say anything he wants, but the results will speak for themselves,” Tisch said.